Once again, we didn't make it to San Diego ... sorry!

Palm Springs 2007

For the 2nd time this year we never made it to San Diego, the first time because of the weather and this time the Alaska Airlines plane broke down and the closest they could get us was Palm Springs.  We had booked this trip quite a while ago as we had two $200 vouchers we had to use up (remember our disaster getting home from St. Martin last year?). 

A few days before this trip we had some bad news, one of our closest friends' father had passed away in San Diego.  So we weren't just going on a vacation, we were trying to make a wake and funeral.  When our plane broke down, it was important that we get to San Diego as soon as possible, and the closest we could get on this 3-day weekend was Palm Springs.  We didn't make the wake, but we were able to drive in from Palm Springs in time for the funeral Saturday morning.

A phone call was made to Marriott and Thrifty and the hotel and rental car were changed from SD to PS in just a few minutes.  It does help being an Elite Member and supporting one hotel brand; changing hotels at such late notice was not a problem despite it being a holiday weekend.  Although it cost us a lot more points than we expected, but it came with free breakfast every morning, saving us at least $150.

So a lovely room was waiting for us at The Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa in Indian Wells overlooking the pool and mountains. By the time we arrived at the hotel we had been "on the road" nearly 12 hours so we asked the concierge if she could recommend a nice quiet Mexican restaurant.  Despite her rave review, we were very disappointed in her choice, Restaurant Guillermo in Palm Desert.  It was advertised as serving authentic Mexican food but we found it to be very expensive, not authentic as we know Mexican dishes to be and the service to be very slow.

The next morning we were up early to drive to San Diego on Hwy 74 over the mountains. Great views but we knew were going to have more time on our return journey to stop off and enjoy the scenery.

A casino out in the middle of nowhere

It was a hot  afternoon and Smokey was concerned that there could be a fire hazard.

We cooled down at The Paradise Cafe

Cheri then found a dirt road that she thought would give us a great photo opportunity and a view of the valley.

Leaving the car we hiked "the desert" floor, climbed over rocks and up trees to get the perfect shot.

It certainly was worth it

The things we do to get shots like this still amazes us.  Cut knees, twisted ankles, sunburn, slivers and spiked by cactus is all in a days work for the photographer.

So it was back to the Renaissance pool, most of the kids were gone and we could relax at the bar with a couple of Margaritas.

What is with Cheri & elevators?  Anyway it was a quick shower and we were out for dinner.

We were seated quickly at a nice table at Roy's which had a good atmosphere and decent food.

Those Renaissance beds are the best but it was time to wake up!!

Over the past weeks we had been talking to Tom Mulhall, the owner of The Terra Cotta Inn which has been rated as one of the best clothing optional resorts in the country.  We knew the pool at the Renaissance would be very crowded so we were looking for a quiet place where we could relax.  There were no rooms available for this weekend, in fact they have an annual 85% occupancy rate but they do allow a few couples to enjoy their resort daily for a fee of $30. So we knew this place was for us and reserved two days.

We arrived at 10:00 am and we were welcomed by Tom and his wife Mary Clare who gave us a tour of the resort.  All 17 rooms were occupied but they leave one room open for day use where you can put your clothes, beverages and any snacks. The fee includes daily breakfast and then at 4:00 pm Tom serves strawberries and wine.  Lunch can be ordered and it is brought in from a local restaurant at 1:00 pm.

Despite the resort being full it's very quiet and the pool area is sufficient to not feel overcrowded.

Wine & strawberries

The Terra Cotta Inn also offers:

Spacious garden like grounds

Heated, state of the art salt water pool and jacuzzi spa

BBQ facilities & outdoor fireplace

Spa & Massage

Free WiFi

Cheri with Mary Clare, Tom & Godiva

Tony found a nice shady spot but Cheri loves the sun.

You can sit and paint on rocks in the garden, we loved the comment behind Cheri "Life is Good"

So a wonderful two days relaxing by the pool and we now realize when Tom says, we have one room left you had better take it.  Next time we plan a trip to the desert the Terra Cotta Inn is where we will stay.

On this trip we wished we had the success in the evenings like we had during the day. A real nightmare choosing restaurants, getting a table or even liking the place. At least we had fun getting there and when we returned.  Saturday we wanted Sushi so we headed to Mikado's at the JW Marriott, sushi bar was crowded, Hibachi was noisy and bad seats, so ok let's go Mexican again, we tried Las Casaelas Nuevas, waited 20 minutes just to see how long it would be to get a table. Now we will eat anything, how about a burger at Tommy Bahama's Tropical Cafe, how about paying $36 for a chicken entree?? So we ended up walking down El Paseo to Armando's Dakota Bar & Grill thinking about that burger.  It's a Mexican restaurant! Glad we did, as we sat outside, received great service and their margaritas were awesome plus the total bill came to one entree if we had eaten at Tommy Bahama's.

After dinner even Einstein was relaxed.

Monday night started well, we thought everybody would have gone home and it would be a little quieter, how wrong were we? Mikado's it was and we easily found a spot at the sushi bar and ordered our usual martini.

Then something happened that in all our travels we had never seen before, a fight broke out right behind us and two men were rolling on the floor, punching, kicking and biting each other.  We ended up pinned between these guys and the bar and could not move, glasses were flying and security was no where to be found.  Eventually they were pulled apart but the screaming continued until one of them fled. Everybody cleared out leaving just us and the "winner".  It put us off our sushi and drinks but we received very little concern from management as they were fretting over the people that left the restaurant without paying. What we did eat was very good though and we understand this was something nobody could control but ...

After that we had a nice drink in the hotel bar and Cheri had to cool off a little.

Cheri looking great the first & last night.

We had a few hours the next morning so instead of lazing by the pool we drove the short distance to El Paseo where the shopping is incredible.  Especially at this time of year as shops are closing for the summer and they all have big sales starting.

Sandals were purchased for our St. Martin trip in July

As always we love the desert and every time we go we say we should look to buy a small house or condo.  One of these times we will do it as we do like the sunshine

If you are interested in staying at The Terra Cotta Inn you can email Tom at info@sunnyfun.com or go their website htpp://www.sunnyfun.com

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